


The Witch That Kills Romance

by FlareonFan



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Genre: F/M, because this could have a lot of different endings, i might write a different version of this later, sorry if the ending is a little bit cray cray
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-06 18:22:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11041716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlareonFan/pseuds/FlareonFan
Summary: Mae hears that Boey hooked up with a witch at a party. Despite their not being in a romantic relationship, Mae can't help but feel betrayed. She feels remorseful for ignoring him, but is too stubborn to admit it to anyone but herself. Can she reconcile with him?





	The Witch That Kills Romance

 

Mae looked at the numerous bouquets, humming in deep thought. She knew Boey liked cypresses and lilacs, but she was indecisive about which to get.

After several minutes of contemplation and odd stares, Mae picked up the cypresses, smiling at what he might say receiving them. He might be speechless and adorable, blushing and tripping over his own words until he gave in to his own temptations and kissed her… 

She snapped herself out of her fantasies and rushed to the counter with the flowers and her card. This card didn’t have any writing on it already, of course. She wasn’t trying to come off as  _ that _ desperate! After she paid the merchant, Mae skipped away with a stupid, wide grin on her face.

Fortunately, her home in Novis wasn’t too far from the market, so she could run home without Boey seeing her out of his window.

When she arrived home and set her things down, she couldn’t help but contemplate more.  _ Maybe I’m doing too much. Maybe I should set aside the flowers… but… oh Mila! What if I’m not doing enough? Should I bake his favorite cookies to go with it? But last time I baked, the house nearly burnt… ugh. I’m just gonna go ask Celica. _

On the way to Novis Greatport, Mae couldn’t help the constant sweating of her palms.

***

“Mae! It’s been too long.” Celica pulled Mae into a tight embrace, calming the latter slightly. 

“It really has.” Swallowing, Mae glanced around the extravagant bedroom. Maybe it was too soon to bring up the problem.

“Something is wrong,” Celica observed.

Mae sighed. “Am I that obvious?”

“Yes,” Celica chuckled, “very. Tell me what’s up.”

“Um… well, uh…” Blood rushed to Mae’s face, her heart pounding against her chest already. Celica grabbed Mae’s hand with a knowing and amused smile.

“It’s about Boey,” Celica said flatly, not bothering to ask. When Mae didn’t deny it, she went on. “Mae, you really can relax about him. He loves you how you are, and nothing can change that. I say that you should just be yourself in confessing to him.”

She took a deep breath, trying to stop her voice trembling. “It’s hard to be that casual about it when  _ my _ heart is on the line.”

“Don’t overthink it, Mae. Trust me when I say this; Boey isn’t going to reject you. He only has you in his heart.”

Mae shrugged and let her shoulders fall. “Telling him still feels so scary.”

“Maybe we should calm you down. Let’s go take a walk around the castle.”

***

The gardens around Zofia Castle were nothing short of epic. A gentle aroma filled the air. “After Alm came into power, there wasn’t really much for me to do. He’s good at taking initiative, and he dedicated all his time to work. Boring, political work. Meanwhile, I had nothing to do. So Conrad, a few citizens, and I took to making the castle pretty.”

“Celica, this is just… wow!” Mae gaped in awe at the thousands of flowers planted in rows along paved walkways. There were pools and fountains in certain areas as well, all full of fish. Hummingbirds zipped by, searching for new flowers. Mae crouched to admire some lavenders.

“Hey ladies,” a familiar voice said. Mae turned her head to see Leon and Kamui walking together. Well, a more accurate description would be Leon walking while Kamui runs to try and catch up.

“Leon! Quit leaving me,” Kamui gasped.

“Oh, sorry you can’t run as fast as Valbar.” Leon stuck his tongue out, causing Kamui to groan.

“Valbar can’t run with all that armor,” he mumbled under his breath. Mae chuckled quietly at the exchange. “What brings you two out here?” Kamui asked.

“We’re talking about girl stuff. Boys, specifically.”

“Ooh la la,” Leon mused, “did Mae finally realize how much Boey wants her?”

“Shut up,” Mae replied half heartedly, turning away to hide her cheeks.

Her eyebrows raised when she was met with a grave silence rather than further teasing. She turned to Leon and Kamui to see that both had exchanged grim expressions. “Uh, is everything okay with you two? Leon isn’t the type to shut up in normal circumstances.”

“About Boey,” Kamui started, biting his lip. “We saw him at this party last night.”

“Aaaaaand…” Mae pushed, failing to keep the nervous tone out of her voice.

“He was with a girl,” Leon spit out after a short silence. “A very pretty witch girl.”

She quirked an eyebrow, leaning in and placing her hands on her hips. “What do you mean by… ‘with’ her?”

Neither seemed enthusiastic to answer. They both looked at each other, waiting for the other to start. “I’ll buy dinner tonight if you tell her,” Leon said, winking at Kamui.

Kamui turned to her, a slight smile gracing his face. “He had this witch girl on his lap, and they were making out. Second base for sure.”

Mae’s stomach dropped like the bass. “What?!”

“What he said is true.” Leon glanced at Kamui and then turned, nodding to Mae. “We have to get out of here now, but good luck.” The pair bolted out of the garden like they were being chased.

After they left, the pit in Mae’s stomach became deeper. Her eyes darted to Celica, who seemed nearly as shocked. Mae’s stomach churned and her knees trembled. “No,” she choked out in a whisper.

“Oh, Mae,” Celica said, putting an arm around Mae’s shoulders. They stood in the same position for several minutes, Celica stroking Mae’s hair and comforting her.

“I don’t get it…” Mae mumbled. 

After more walking, the pair had to get back into the castle. Early the next morning, Mae left on a boat back to Novis, confused thoughts still running through her head.

***

When she arrived back on the island, Mae stretched her arms and sighed. Travelling the seas without encountering a myriad of pirates was unusual nowadays.

“Hey, Mae.”

Mae turned behind her. Sitting on the crates was Boey, cross-legged and smiling. Despite his casual demeanor, her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. He tilted his head and quirked an eyebrow at her. “Is… something wrong, Mae?”

“Um…” She clenched her fists, desperate to think of something. Her usual aggressive, witty response didn’t seem to be coming to her any time soon. Being under his gaze felt overwhelming enough. “Everything is fine.”

Before he could question her more, she bolted off in the other direction. “Wait!” She heard him call behind her. It only prompted her to keep running.

Mae nearly ran into her front door. She scrambled through her keychain, trembling fingers not helping her urgency. She unlocked the knob, and faster than you could say “avoiding your problems”, she locked the door, gasping for breath. Leaning against the door, Mae sat quietly, hoping her anxiety would die down.

He knocked on the door. Taking a deep breath, she remained sitting. If he really wished to talk to her, he could wait. It wasn’t her fault that he felt more strongly for someone else.

And some random witch girl, no less! Mae was more than sure she was prettier than whichever girl Boey picked up.

As Mae was getting up, another knock came to her door. Groaning, she glanced out of her window. However, instead of Boey, she saw a letter on the ground addressed to her. Intrigued, Mae picked it up and brought it to her table. It was from Celica.

_ Mae, _

_ I’m sorry to call for you after you just left. However, in three days, I’ll need an army of our strongest. Our intelligence found that the territory west of Ram Woods has been taken over by a group of rebels still loyal to Duma. If you could meet us at the Southern Outpost in the morning at that time, the citizens of that area would be extremely thankful. _

_ -Celica _

_ PS: We’ve heard that many of the witches in that territory have poison magic. We’ll have two healers on board, though, so just shout for them if you need them. _

Mae glanced out of her window to Boey’s door right next to hers. There was a letter waiting for him as well, meaning he’d be in the fight too.

But he hadn’t picked it up. He was away from home.  _ Probably with that witch, _ she thought, clenching her teeth.  _ Screw Boey. I never liked him much anyway. _ Mae walked into her kitchen, opening a cupboard and grabbing a small bag of sweet cookies.  _ He’s a stupid, dumb, ugly, rude, stubborn scaredy cat. _

She plopped down on her couch and started munching. Yet another knock came to her door.

“ _ Uuuuugh, _ ” she moaned, swinging her legs off of the couch and getting up. If it was Boey, she didn’t have to speak with him. No one could make her talk to him ever again.

When she threw the door open, Mae paused. Seeing Boey’s face full of the same hurt she felt in her heart made her stomach lurch. For a split second, she thought that maybe she was in the wrong. “Mae, please just tell me you’re alright,” he pleaded.

The desperation in his voice almost got to her.

She looked down and inhaled, ready to berate him, to tell him he was being stupid. Nothing came out. Somehow, Boey of all people had made her speechless twice. In the same day. Yeah, this definitely felt wrong.

But was she ready to face him and her mistakes? It would mean having to apologize and explain this whole thing. Two hands grabbed her shoulders, causing her to swing her head upwards. “Mae, if it’s something I did, I’m sorry.” Boey leaned forward, looking her in the eyes.

No. She wasn’t ready to admit her mistakes to him yet. “You’re fine. We can talk about it later, but… please just give me some time.”

Surprisingly, he didn’t object. He nodded and walked away without a word.

For the next three days, she tried everything to distract herself from Boey, including but not limited to reading, eating, sleeping, walking, and taking care of the numerous strays at the port. Despite her best efforts not to, she couldn’t help but sit by the door sometimes, hoping Boey would come by so she can explain this all to him and beg for his forgiveness.

Unfortunately, she felt stuck between blaming herself and blaming him.

***

Three days passed, and Mae left for the Southern Outpost at an ungodly hour in the morning, hoping that Boey wouldn’t be taking the same boat. Fortunately, she was one of only a dozen or so people boarding.

On the way there, Mae sat on the top floor of the boat, letting the cold air against her face wake her up. She couldn’t suppress several yawns, though. 

When she arrived at the harbor, nobody from their army appeared to be there as soon as she was. The rising sun painted the peer a soft gold. Winter’s chill bit into Mae’s skin, causing her to shiver and rub her arms on her sides.

Over the hours, people began to trickle into the harbor, most opting to talk to each other.

Mae began to notice a pattern. Everyone except for herself was from Alm’s army, so they knew each other well, leaving her with no one to talk to.

Except for the boy walking off the boat right then, who she had known all her life. Before he noticed her, she averted her gaze. 

_ Celica did this on purpose so we would talk, _ Mae realized, frowning a bit. But she couldn’t decide whether it was a bad thing.

She shrugged it off. They could talk later on the battlefield, when she had more important things to worry about than her own insistence on being the one in the right.

Once everyone had arrived, Alm stepped up on a few crates, raising his voice. “Everyone who’s here, thank you for coming. And if you see Python in the next few days, tell him to read his mail.” A few chuckled. “I’m confident that our manpower here can cover for his absence. Without further ado, let’s go!”

“Yeah!” Everyone cheered. Mae glanced at Boey to see him silent. He seemed not only tired, but somehow… put out. He slumped his shoulders, eyes cast downwards as he walked.

Mae shook her head. She could always be snarky later. Boey wasn’t going anywhere.

***

“Here I coooome!” Mae shouted at a brigand as she flung Thunder magic at him. She scoffed as he fell. “Too easy.”

“Leave some left for me,” Boey said from her right side. She turned and made eye contact with him. He smiled brightly at her, making her bite her lip. 

_ I need to apologize to him as soon as I can,  _ Mae decided.  _ He doesn’t deserve this. _

As they continued the battle, Mae found herself nearly getting stabbed on several occasions. That wasn’t uncommon, of course, but her mind was distracted at the moment, thinking of all the things she wanted to say to Boey. 

Alm and Celica, of course, battled as a perfect team. They both landed consecutive critical hits by each other’s side, high-fiving each afterwards with wide smiles and mutual encouragement.

Mae knew she could be doing that now. It was her own fault for getting jealous. Boey didn’t belong to her.

Finally, the perfect opportunity came up. Both Mae and Boey were running towards Ram Village, the farthest west point of the stolen territory. “Boey,” Mae called out, going to his side.

“Yes?”

“Boey, I’m so, so sorry for ignoring you,” she gasped out between heavy breaths.

He was silent for several seconds, each of which seemed like hours. “Why were you avoiding me?”

“I was, uh,” she started. Her breath hitched.  _ Mila, I hate admitting my mistakes, but here we go. _ “I just heard that at some party, you had-”

“Mae, watch out!” He screamed, interrupting her. She stopped and whipped her head back and forth, looking for the apparent threat. She heard it before she saw it. It was the familiar sound of the enemy witch’s magic.

Before she could verify if he was alright, a witch came face-to-face with Mae. She zapped it with her lightning just in time for another one to appear. It held a tome in its hand, but before it could cast any spell, she killed it off as well.

More and more continued to appear. A throbbing pain tortured every part of Mae’s body. They had run so far that they were nowhere near the others, and definitely far from a healer. All the more need to fight hard to protect herself, and more importantly, Boey.

“Boey, the reason I stopped talking to you was,” Mae said, dodging another attack from a witch before casting her own spell, “I heard that you were with a witch at a party, and honestly, I was just-” she  _ narrowly _ avoided that magic, as exhausted as she was- “I was jealous, because I… I like you, Boey! Romantically.”

Finally, the barrage was over. She fell to her knees, out of breath. “Mae, you idiot,” he said from behind her, coughing violently, “she manipulated me into doing that using her magic. I’m sorry that you misunderstood.”

At hearing his voice weakened, Mae spun around. Boey was lying on the ground, heavily wounded, his eyes half open and lips slightly parted. He coughed up blood, adding to the small pool by his mouth. “Boey!” Mae shouted.

Her heart racing, Mae rushed to his side and held him in her arms. “Genny! Faye! Tatiana!” Mae called. However, her voice was weak, and they were too far away from the others to be heard. “No… Boey, are you okay? Please just tell me you’re okay.”

“Mae, that which poisoned me,” he choked out, eyes fluttering closed. “I killed her, so you’re safe.”

“Let me heal you!” She pulled a white tome from her robes, but he put his hand on hers and shook his head.

“I’m beyond hope. Tatiana is the only one who can heal the poison magic, remember? You dunce.” He smirked, expression falling back to pain when he coughed more. “Besides, it would kill you to heal me. You’re in pretty bad shape yourself.”

“But I’m not…” She swallowed the lump in her throat, biting her trembling lip as tears began to pour out of her eyes. “I’m not dying, Boey!”

“Thank Mila for that.” He smiled softly, placing a trembling hand behind her neck. At the first sign of him pulling her in, she closed the gap between their mouths, kissing him like it was their last chance.

Pulling away, Boey grabbed Mae’s hand in his, looking up at her in the eye. “Mae, I love you.”

“I love you too, Boey,” she cried, throwing her arms around him. “Don’t die on me.”

He grinned one last time before his grip on her hand loosened, and all tension fell out of his body at the same time.

For minutes, Mae remained kneeling, staring at Boey’s limp body in her arms. “Oh, Boey,” she uttered, pulling him closer to her. “Please, not you…”

**Author's Note:**

> I am so. So. Sorry.


End file.
